Bush calls for new initiatives in Africa

Malaria is one of the top killers in Africa, and most of its victims are children. The ancient mosquito-borne disease infects as many as 400 million people worldwide, killing 1 million a year.

The malaria initiative aims to provide tens of millions of dollars to Tanzania, Uganda and Angola in the first year, adding at least four more countries in 2007 and at least five more in 2008 for an eventual total spending of $1.2 billion, Bush said. The president said his proposal would eventually cover 175 million people in at least 15 nations most affected by the disease.

“We know that large-scale action can defeat this disease in whole regions and the world must take action,” Bush said. “Together we can lift this threat and defeat this fear across the African continent.”

Because the disease is highly preventable, the money will pay for approaches such as providing insecticide-treated sleeping nets, encouraging greater use of insecticides indoors and financing a new generation of anti-malarial drugs